Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-10-26
THE MAD ENGINEER.

,sThat IS n very good story, boys.
and reminds me of something that hap
pgrrI several years ago. when l was
ar.rr for one Of the best men that ever
rr.-I a tnruttle,n said a veteran Ell
',f7ayr III "A crowd OF railroad employees.
"If thought it wouldn't tax the pa
fence 0r YOU too much, l would tel
Won gbuut although, ." he said, after
a moments pause, - have never dared
spgtk og the accident, OF incident,
SIN eIt happened in 1868, l believe"
.Tet's have IL, Uncle Tommy
smoke no The crowd as one man, who
vel knew Uncle TOmmy's ability al
story telling when the subject involved
ri'roajIgg.
ssTa BEGIN with, " said he, after the
crowd hsl become quiet and assumed
aEst-u.uE attitude. lit Is necessary to
tel ylu about my engineer, In order
that you may the better appreciate my
story, and bee less bitter In your denun
citation o.. bis conduct on the night in
question, for the story | am going to
tell YOU happened az night.
His name WAS Weudall-Eari Wen
dali. a very pretty name, you Will say,
but Dc wa, very appropriate, for l will
20 on rscuvi q, saving that he was the
hiuIs1uest man that old Tom ever
laid eyes on When l say handsome,
why. that Is just what l mean exactly,
Tor lie was really and truly handsome,
and what made hlm still more so in my
ewes, NE didn't know it. That is, you
wouldn't think he knew it from his
actions. He WAS Just simply good,
handsome Eul Weudiul of the '53. ,
had been lgug for him about eighteen
months, and LJi come 10 love him as a
brother. This same Earl Wendall that
I am telling YOU about was IN love.
He loved only one girl, and the Lord
only knows how many girls all along
the line were head over heels in love
with hlm. During my run with him
never day IasseU t,IsyJ some shy mai
den didn't send him flowers, or some
little token OF friendship, as we we've
passing through. Sometimes they would
cone themselves, then again they
would send a messenger. 1t was that
way an along. have seen Earl's box
full Of flowers. lie would accept them
10 every Instance simply with bow and
a faint smue, returning his thanks TO
the sender, throw them into his box,
and that was the last OF them until
they witheUed, then he would RAISE the
box lld ANA cast them out, seemingly
unconscious and little caring of the
pns that such action would cause IN
the hearts of the tair donors had they
known the fate of their flowers.
Earl appreciated all this, l am con-
ndeut, but as | have said, he was in
love, not with the girls at every sta
tlOn, but with one girl. and he was
determined TO keep his heart for heI
and her only. How this action was
appreciated by the favored one you VIII
know after awhile.
About dity miles from Providence
was the supper house for our train. II
was called the Bush Supper House.
Bush was a Jelly old German and was
universally liked by the raiIroaders anG
travellers generally Besides being
proprIetor OF the Bush House he wa:
Tue iather OF as pretty girl as evel
tuoN step, Her name was Bessie
7ud She was Earl Wendall's idol.
can't begin TO describe her, but she wa!
Just the glrl, l thought, for Earl Wen
Nd.- Eur. thong Z the same way anC
lil made her promise long ago to shar,
h.S fortune with hum. All the railroad
men knew OF Earl and Bessie's engage
mrut, ami speculation was rife as t,
Wien the wedding was to come off,
Occasionally Z E,Tl would come from
lNe bush House bringing his flow
eIs. These had a separate place from
Nae rest, and have known him 10 hau
Que ot Aer bouquets mouth, and thel
Par, with Is with q sigh.
"Oue day Earl SAID to ne:
Busuy"
Mighty well, Earl" 1 replied
Miss Bush IS what 1 call "A first clas
little woman.
Ear, was silent for a moment. The
he siIG.
I'm glad 10 hear you say so, Uncl
tommy. Well, Bess and | are goin
10 gyJ married hex, Sunday week.
Ldrs always called her 'Bess' Il
short.
Is H4t so?1 answered I, feignin
surprise. Il expected as much, Ear
Out Thought II would be too inquls
i've 90 ask yOu.n
should have told vou." he AZ
a"etea, but l thought il best to kee
lNa secret, at least until now. l wan
you 70 be II the wedding. 1t will TAX
place az Ler fathers house,
llls conversation took place o
wednesday, l believe. When we sto
tu Tor supper again it was on Frida,
4l l"oA us TWO DAYS 20 make the rouu
''p, as We We're on the mixed freigh
S-a l.I know they generally take the
time
w hen we walked into the hot
2,L.''' Bessie introduced n stranger
Ear lGd myself rs a Mr.. Eubank
1 oll No, think anything about it mucl
e'y l noticed dark scowl came ov
11t. S handsome face.
II looked as though Bessie w
ta'hef attentive to the stranger AZ
was .e~s 50 TO Earl, but thought tn
was only nltural, as he was 4 strang
"ul Earl an Old acquaintance. IL W
Que OF old BUsA's hobbies to make eve
Stranger feel at home while at 1
-o1'e. Probably this was more TO ga
custom than anything else, dor
AGo". However, Earl ate his supper
s"eRce and was of again to his engi
oeIore was half through. 1 left c
'auHer and Bess in the office togeths
Sualllng very pleasantly.
10 you know Mr.. Eubanks, Tom